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Post by Lee on Apr 5, 2017 22:48:44 GMT -5
He was sure smooth! Saw him a few years before he died from cancer. An eternal inspiration to musicians!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2017 22:19:57 GMT -5
i think atkins was responsible for bringing country back from the brink in the 30's? something about taking it from a 2/4 timing to a 4/4 timing?
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Post by Lee on Apr 9, 2017 20:34:26 GMT -5
Idk, Im kind of a dummy. Its the beauty of what he did. How many people devote their entire lives to make something beautiful for other people? On the one hand..theres the workers. On the other..chet atkins. Im not sure who's in the lead in that game.
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Post by jetmech on Apr 23, 2017 12:13:37 GMT -5
I always enjoy reading about Chet Atkins. I started trying to play like Chet Atkins clear back while I was in high school. I read in the Indianapolis Star where Chet Atkins was going to be performing in the evening at the MURAT TEMPLE in Indianapolis .... this was about 1970 while I was a sophomore in high school. I made up my mind right then and there that, some way, some how, I was going to meet Chet Atkins! So, I got in my old oil smokin' 1961 Ford Galaxie and headed for Indianapolis, bought a city map and found the MURAT TEMPLE on the day Chet Atkins was going to be putting on his evening performance. I tried the front door of the MURAT TEMPLE and found it locked. I tried a side door. Locked! I started to leave ... but drove around in back and spotted an old wooden door in back. I walked up and tried that old wooden door, and to my surprise, it opened! I walked on in and it lead right behind the stage! I was in! The place was nice and cool with air conditioning and just plush and nice. No one seemed to be there but me. I walked out on the stage and looked around, then decided I better stay sort of hidden behind the stage. I was there all day. It began to get darker outside and almost dark when I heard that old wooden door squeak and it slowly opened and in walked Chet Atkins! He was carrying a guitar! I blurted out "Chet!" He looked up quickly, sort of startled. I told him "... Chet I'm so sorry I startled you, but I snuck in here and I've been wanting to meet you all my life, I LOVE how you play guitar. I LOVE it!!! I guess he could see I was just a kid. He smiled and asked me " ... how would you like to stand on stage with me tonight and hold my guitars between songs ...?" I nervously said " ... I would love that ..." I was so excited I had tears in my eyes. He told me " ... I'm going up to my practice room, you go on out there on stage and just mill about ..." He said " ... if anyone says anything to you ... you tell them Chet Atkins told you to come out there and wait for him ..." Gawd I was SO excited. I went out to the stage and the violinists and cellists were all setting up and tuning their instruments. This one old man was tuning a violin and he looked over at his reading glasses at me. " ... You don't like Chet Atkins do ya - kid ...?" I answered " ... are you kiddin'...?" " ... he's the BEST guitar player in the world ..!" " ... don't you think so ... don't you like him ..?" I asked that guy. He looked over his reading glasses at me and sort of smirked and said " ... ohhhh, I don't know about that one ..." " ... I don't know ..." About that time Chet Atkins started playing a solo. He has snuck in there quietly behind me and sat down and started playing BLACK MOUNTAIN RAG. I was SO shocked. I had never known such beautiful music could ever come from ONE guitar. It was so beautiful tears filled my eyes. I just LOVED it. Then, the INDIANAPOLIS SYMPHANY ORCHESTRA started playing. It was the first time and only time I had stood in the midst right reside violins and cellos being played. It was beautiful past words. Chet Atkins began to play JITTERBUG WALTZ I just stood there, breathing deeply, knowing this would all pass by like a dream. I tried to drink it all in and just relish the moment as deeply and permanently as I could. The violins behind JITTERBUG WALTZ so beautiful, and Chet's playing were so beautiful. He played a couple of more songs then handed me his big, double bodies electric guitar. He said to me softly " ... be careful with it ..." and he winked at me. I nervously said " ... okay ..." he started playing a Spanish guitar and played La Fiesta ... just unbelievable, and THE ENTERTAINER ( which I had been trying to learn), I watched how he tuned the 6th string down to "D", that was it!!! No wonder I could never get that lower bass note. Ha! I paid close attention to how he played that and actually pretty much learned it until I met a music teacher in college who taught me the arrangement that Chet Atkins played. It was an arrangement by John Knowles. After the show, which passed by like a streak of lightening, Chet told me to get on the stairs and I could get his autograph up in his practice room. So, I rushed to the stairs and there were many people in line waiting to go up that stairs to his practice room and get his autograph and a picture with him. I waited in that line and when I got in there with Chet I thanked him and got his autograph. I left but didn't want to leave. I waited at the foot of the stairs, because it was behind the stage and I wanted to talk to Chet a little bit if possible. Finally everyone was gone. I was surprised how everyone just left, and Chet came down all alone ... just as he had come in all alone. He said " ... Oh, you waited for me ...?" I told him " ... Chet, I'd like to give you a thumb pick of mine ... it would make me feel so good if I ever seen you using it. He smiled and said " ... ok ... sure" He held out his thumb and I put it on his thumb and we both laughed. It fit - perfectly. He and I talked a little bit and I told him I'd heard his wife was an identical twin, that her sister was married to Jethro, he replied " ... that's right ..." I told him " ... I'm an identical twin too, do you mind if my twin brother and I both come and see you again tomorrow night ..." " ... Sure thing, he said ... just tell the attendants you're friends of mine and that I invited you here ... they'll let you in ... I'll tell them too ..." I stayed there. I watched Chet Atkins get in the back of a light blue Chevy Impala. He had a driver. I was surprised he didn't get in a lemo. He waived at me from inside the car and I watched him leave. The next night my twin and I went back and they let us in ... just as Chet Atkins said they would. I've remembered that even all my life. Later, years later, after I was out of the army and in college, I was living in California. I read where Chet Atkins weas performing at the CLAREMONT COLLEGES. I attended. Again, after the show, everyone who wanted to could wait on the stairs and go up to his practice room, when I got there with Chet I reminded him that I had met him at the MURAT TEMPLE in Indianpolis and that he'd let me hold his guitars on stage, and that he'd met my twin brother. To my absolute sad amazement ... he didn't remember it. I had one of the pictures we'd taken with him and showed him ... he still did not remember; but, he signed the back of the photo for me. I've larned many of Chet Atkin's song by now and have enjoyed tying to play like him all my life. I just wish I'd given him my name and phone number back then, he may have hired me to play as a backup guitarist or something. These are some of the best of my memories.
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Post by Lee on Apr 29, 2017 10:40:17 GMT -5
Thats an amazing story and one to be cherished! ..I read yesterday Willie Nelson is releasing another album. Hes 84!
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